Authority: High Court of Odisha, Cuttack
Order Date: 19 August 2026
Case Overview
- Petitioner: Siddheswar College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Balasore, seeking a direction to renew its No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the Diploma in Pharmacy programme for the academic session 2026‑27.
- Opposite Parties: State of Odisha, Director, Medical Education and Training (DMET), and the State Board of Pharmacy.
- Background: The institution had previously obtained an NOC for earlier years but missed the statutory deadline of 15 January 2026 for filing the renewal application. Admission process for 2026‑27 continues until 30 September 2026, and the petitioner argued that denying admission would affect students and staff.
- Counsel: Senior Advocate Budhadev Routray represented the petitioner; Additional Standing Counsel Siba Narayan Biswal and Advocate Rajani Chandra Mohanty represented the State.
- Court Consideration: The Court noted the statutory mandate for the deadline, the equitable interest of students, and the need to avoid undue hardship to the institution, while emphasizing that the deadline cannot become a perpetual extension.
Final Outcome
- The Court allows the petitioner to submit a renewal application for the NOC by 24 August 2026; failure to do so will result in no further extensions.
- The institution must pay the statutory fees, any applicable fine, and an additional penalty of ₹50,000 for the delayed application.
- The authorities must act on the application and render a decision by 11 September 2026.
- If the institution is found eligible, the approval will be notified on the relevant website and admission procedures.
- The order is expressly stated to be a one‑time equitable measure, carries no precedential value, and other similarly situated institutions cannot rely on it for extensions.
Topics: Education, Legal